The recreational sport of fishing, often called angling, as contrasted with commercial fishing, involves the use of rods, reels, lines, and lures with hooks to catch fish. Sport angling, one of the more popular forms of recreation in the world, lets people get into the outdoors for the challenge of outwitting and then fighting a game fish.
Modern sportfishing may be broken down between freshwater fishing and saltwater fishing. Freshwater fishing takes place in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. Saltwater fishing is done in the ocean and rivers affected by ocean tides. Fish in fresh water are generally smaller than fish found in sale water. Accordingly, freshwater fish are caught with lighter rods, reels, and lines and with smaller lures than saltwater fish. In lakes, ponds, and larger rivers, freshwater anglers either wade, fish from shore, or use a boat. Anglers fishing in smaller rivers, streams, and creeks generally wear waders and/or waterproof garments, including a vest which may have a certain degree of flotation for safety. The angler walks in the water to a suspected fish collecting area.
Freshwater anglers can utilize different fishing methods such as bait casting, spin fishing and fly fishing. Fly fishing is thought to be the most sporting and difficult angling method and is primarily used to catch trout and salmon. A fly rod is typically of 7½ feet, and up to 10 feet, in length is used. This rod is lighter than rods used for bait and spin fishing.
Fly reels are also different from bait casting and spinning reels in that they are of a single action. Fly reels have a frame and revolving spool without gears, designed to only hold the line. The handle is attached directly to the spool. A turn of the handle turns the spool.
Fly lines are thicker in diameter than bait casting lines and are coated with various plastics. Some can float or sink rapidly or slowly. Once the fly fishing line is wound on the reel spool, a nylon leader is added to the end of the line. Fly leaders are much lighter than and have a smaller diameter than the actual fly line. The fly leaders let the angler cast easily.
A fly is attached to the end of the leader to disguise the hook. The fly is made of feathers, fur, silk, hair, or synthetic materials tied onto a hook. Different shapes and sizes are used to imitate a variety of insects, frogs and even mice. The fly is of very little weight. The choice of irritated insect is based upon what fish are feeding on at a particular moment. The majority of anglers “tie” their own flies meaning that they create their own flies by tying the feather, fur, silk, hair or synthetic material onto the hook with string. Anglers tend to carry a variety of different flies with them when fishing so that they can adjust the type of fly for different locations and circumstances.
To cast a fly line, the angler whips the fly rod back and forth until a desired length of line is moving through the air. The line is then cast to a spot, such as pools and pockets in streams where fish may gather. The fly is allowed to touch the water and then float or sink into the water. If a fish goes for the bait, the angler sets the hook in the fish's mouth by pulling the line by raising the top of the rod. The angler fights the fish by pulling the line by hand or by reeling in the line onto the reel.
Fishing with flies involves many variations and subtleties. Serious anglers constantly search for new information about equipment that will help them improve their fishing. One area of improvement is the comfort level of the angler and the ability to make, repair and select different flies without leaving the water.